Rap’s upper echelon of uber-stars consists of four guys: Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem and Drake. This is almost not debatable. Hip-Hop fans could make an argument for guys like Kendrick Lamar, but Lamar isn’t helping his hometown NBA franchise in a re-branding and consulting role. Drake is, for the Toronto Raptors, of course, nor is K. Dot or any other rapper outside Jigga, Yeezy or Drake the face of ubiquitous, global brands and products such as Sprite or Electronic Arts’ FIFA franchise. Because Drake is all over the place, all the time, and much of that plays into the release of his third album, Nothing Was The Same.

And it’s not hard to see why he’s seemingly everywhere: he appeals to everyone, even if everyone won’t admit to it and Drake is speaking specifically from his own experience. Nothing Was The Same is–super cliche alert–the Drakiest Drake album yet, a cross-pollination of sounds (Houston screw, up-tempo dance cuts, British electronic) and references (Wu-Tang homages and name drops, ex-girlfriend call-outs) that shows a guy retreating into the only things that remind him of what used to be.

Nothing Was The Same doesn’t necessarily break new ground in Drake’s subject matter; however, it’s these intricate turns from one song to the next provided by career-long producer, Noah “40” Shebib, that float the album along. It’s Drake most-complete and well-rounded project that ditches the swampy morass of Take Care and extreme highs of Thank Me Later for sonic and thematic cohesion.

Album introduction “Tuscan Leather” is the closest track fans will find to a radio-ready thumping single, sounding like a throwback to power cuts of the early-2000s and rattling for nearly six minutes in three separate parts. “Started From The Bottom” has the most meme-able quotables off the album and “Hold On, We’re Going Home” is “Find Your Love” without the latter’s overt sweetness.

But these are anomalies in the grand scheme, as Nothing Was The Same shines in its transitions and lack of clear-cut singles. “The Language” bleeds into “305 To My City,” while the three-track suite of “Wu-Tang Forever,” “Own It” and “Worst Behavior” showcases Drake speaking–not surprisingly–on past women (“We used to be friends, girl, and even back then/You would look at me with no hesitation and you’d tell me baby, it’s yours” from “Wu-Tang Forever”) and how he reconciles that with being a global superstar over a deflating and escalating series of drum kits and keys.

This isn’t to say that the album is perfect; of course it isn’t. There are some cringeworthy, mushy lines like “she just want to run over my feelings like she’s drinking and driving an 18-wheeler” from “Connect,” which David D. recently highlighted. It’s also an album that, because of its cohesiveness, begs to be played from beginning through end, and jumping into individual tracks (outside of “Hold On…” and the chilling, jarring “Too Much”) muffs the experience of listening to the entire album in one sitting.

But this is Drake, for better or worse. As Noisey’s Drew Millard appropriately put it, “He’s postcategorization in a way that suggests he grew up with unlimited access to data, absorbing and synthesizing disparate scenes and eras and spitting out a product that feels unique to him.” So haters will still hate and fans will still flock to Spotify or Filestube or wherever the kids get their music from nowadays to peep Aubrey’s latest. You can’t run from it, but for our benefit it’s always worth sticking around.

If we are throwing out Sprite commercials and video games then what’s the difference??? Blurred Lines is the biggest song out this year…bigger than anything Drake has been on for sure. Tip gets paid every time the song gets played. Tip is not on the remix…he’s on the original version. Family Hustle….very popular TV show. I guess we can discredit that too since he must not have produced that show or been on it.

You guys are counting lukewarm bars on Drake’s pop album. Why can’t Tip count his bars on a pop song??? If we’re counting charts T.I. is on the hottest pop song of the year. Don’t act like T.I. aint been spitting the entire year either just on some straight BARS type shit. I guess he wasn’t on WE STILL IN THIS BITCH with B.o.B. one of his artists, Memories Back Then bodying Kendrick Lamar, Juicy J’s Show Out, Pour It Up Remix….come on man. I whiffed on the movies though.

What has Eminem done this year? Oh yeah that’s right ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No music whatsoever. NOTHING. Oh just because he’s Eminem right?? I get it.

Don’t even get me started on the trash that is YEEZUS. Ten trash songs, a few paparazzi incidents and he had a baby. Guess that’s a great year only because it’s Kanye though huh??

Bottom line….there’s more than 4 “uber-stars” in this rap shit.

I don’t care if yall forgot. I only have a problem when you guys act like they aren’t really out here getting it. Yes the media coverage has eluded them this year for the most part but if you really peel it back and take a look at what they are out here doing then they have to be included.

I wanted to ride with RealNigga but then he said T.I. bodied K.Dot on “Memories Back Then” (T.I. had a nice flow on that joint but K.Dot killed the end of the track)…nope, nah, sorry…but you making some compelling argument otherwise.

-Drake was basically the star of those commercials, not a featured player.

-You really comparing one song to an entire album? (An album which, by the way, outsold what Tip’s whole [underrated btw] album sold in one week)

-Eminem just released a single that generated more buzz (positive or negative) than anything Tip’s done this whole year.

-We’ll agree to disagree on Yeezus, but still more buzz than anything Tip’s done this year.

-Listen, I get treating Tip’s verse like he killed the song. I enjoyed it too, but that’s not what people think of when they think of Blurred Lines at all bruh.

-That entire thing just showed me you not being objective. I love Tip too, but he’s not up there anymore. If he was he wouldn’t be potentially going independent soon. Tip is still amazing, but he’s not a super duper star anymore.

@RN How about this drop Drake and TI off in the middle of Stockholm. Who do you think people would recognize first??? That is UBER-Star status. I get where you coming from but TI is not as internationally demanded or recognizable as Drake. No one even has BET even in most cities in the US so he’s not even a nationwide star. White girls are not flocking to buy TI’s album. He’s not in the same realm as Drake and you can ‘Cyse TI all you want but you know damn well they aren’t on the same level.

Wow, I am legitimately surprised by that. I can listen to about 3.5 songs on that album. He definitely drops some of his best bars seen on an album but 4 cigs for a take care part 2? Not even comparable to something like yeezus, but definitely didn’t deserve more credit and accolades than it

It’s a solid album and the best thing I can say about it is that Drake seems to over time make more songs that feel like they have lasting power. Thank Me Now while good at the time doesn’t sick with me like songs from Take Care or this album.

Also, and I want this to be on the record: Worst Behavior (and 305 to my City) is a fucking terrible song. It has a stupidly catchy hook and 2 good lines (the OBD and the hold my phone lines) but god damn it. That whole song sounds like a joke. I can’t believe any of it. And who approved of that 808 Kayne “oooo oooohhhhhh” shit all over the song?

Hey I’m not saying Drake can’t make a “fuck you all” type of record. He has to right to talk his shit like everyone else. But to me, both socially and lyrically, Worst Behavior sounds like a Wal-Mart exclusive bonus track or something.

I’m not as frustrated with the album because we all know what we are getting with drake, I’m disappointed with ranking. With te normal content and culture y’all post thought the kitten whisperer wouldn’t be pet so hard

I agree with Ryan it’s almost too cohesive, it’s difficult to listen to some tracks by themselves. He needs to find a balance of similarity and uniqueness with individual songs to make that perfect album. Look towards MBDTF an album with exceptional cohesion yet incredible variety.

I expect the internet tough guys from that Kendrick vs Drake thread to make the typical, cliche’ comments about Drake’s masculinity, but whatever. I thought the album was dope. The only song I’m still not really feeling in 305. Worst Behavior really grew on me. It’s catchy as hell.

3.5 in my opinion.
Drake is running out of things to rap/sing about. It’s the same old over and over. We all agree that he is very talented but his lacking content and creative subject matter. The greats are remembered because of their timeless music. The reason the general public want new music all the time is because all these songs we hear now days gets old easily. That’s why I think “Hold on, we’re going home” is a great record and he needs to focus on those types of records more. Too bad he can’t perform songs like that on a regular basis. What else is he going to talk about next? Actually Starting a beef with Kendrick would be great for his career and Kendrick’s But he won’t do it because his scared he will loose the battle. The album was great sonically. I just can’t see my self listening about what girl he wanted to impregnate 3 months from now.

Dude is in his mid 20’s the subject matter he talks about is what his core audience is all about. They don’t care if its repetitive that’s what they like. This album is not made for someone looking for some rap shit. Its a great album because it serves its purpose well and it is everything its supposed to be. It has half way dope boys buying bottles of over priced Vodka screaming “They aint never loved us” in a club while teenage to 25 y/o women slow dance to themselves amped of the emo stuff he’s singing. This album is perfect.

Completely agree. If you have preconceived notions or biases against Drake this album is only gonna reinforce them and you not gonna enjoy it so who cares about your opinion.

But this is easily his best produced album and his rappitty rapping is also in tip-top shape. Whereas Take Care had sections (intro, then pop stuff, then rappitty rap, then depressed/in love Drake, then the conclusion), this album blends together seamlessly. Not album of the year, but still a great effort.

It’s like the beginning of Ferris Beuller’s Day Off when Ferris tells his parents how he’s so sick and just wants to fight thru it all cz he loves them and wants their approval and his parents tell him “no stay home and feel better cuz we love you” and right after they walk out of the house, Ferris looks dead into the camera and says “They bought it!”

This is what plays in my head everytime Drake opens his mouth.

Look, I accept that I’m old. I accept that I ocassionally romanticize how good hiphop was in my day–ask Aaron Smarter–I do it in 140 on the daily. But try and try as I might I haven’t been able to trust a word coming out of this cat’s mouth since Comeback Season.

Now when I say “trust”—I don’t mean “I believe your lyrics are facts set to poetry”. I know 89% of what Jay ever spit was lies, but something about him made me “trust” the package/perspective he gave you.

I’m out here in SoCal mostly. Drake has a Cobra clutch on my neices and their friends. Every girl under 25 knows every word to every song. In fact and half the guys—he owns them. 75 degrees and dudes are out here in Aubrey sweaters… haven’t seen anything like it in years.

But and i swear, my visceral reaction to every kid I see singing a Drake song is “don’t trust him. he doesn’t mean a single word of it.”

That’s the art in the music… and maybe my age. But I swear, there’s just a weasely Pepe Le Peu aspect to Aubrey that just oozes thru every song. This little double agent is here for our nieces and sisters and daughters. And if we don’t edumacate them with higher quality tunes, he’s gonna R.Kelly ‘em off into the sunset.

Oh yeah, as for the album itself: Eh… not horrible. He’s pushing some semi interesting rhyme patterns… Getting into some less esoteric PM Dawn/less-muscular Posdonus territory… but nothing that I’ll be humming by year’s end.

I’d go 3.5 stars only because he’s more polished than everyone else dabbling in the same territory.

But if y’all want some lovely truth, get at that Love In Flying Colours by Foreign Exchange…

drake is not even the upper echelon of rap… drake is the best at what drake does and I wouldnt call it rap. why does being a business man have to do with the upper echelon of rap? Social status does not make drake lyrically better than k dot, ab soul, los, hov, nas, j cole, wale or em

yes drake should talk about it.. kendrick clearly said drake is the reason is the reason he is with it in the buried alive interlude for take care. ever since drake has been fcking with hov hes been disrespecting wayne like hes bigger than he is and all of sudden he’s part of the raptors…

The fuck are you talking about? The fuck does the Raptors have anything to do with this. Put a “lol” or “ha” or something that shows me you’re making a joke.

1. That line in the interlude “the reason why I’m breathing all the vanity I know” is saying Drake’s success is pulling him into a world he believes he should sacrifice everything for. He’s impatient and frankly jealous of the life Drake has. Drake addressing this would be him making the same material about the dynamics of fame and success he has been making.

2. During WTT stages, Drake boldly stated that the collab album was an idea stolen from his and Wayne’s announcement prior. This was the same Ye he crafted his musical patterns after and the same Hov who jumped on his record after he first delivered the favor, and after he(Jay Z) performed on stage with him, being a hype man man to a rookie rapper.
In regards to his disrespect to Wayne: On his just released album there is a line “I’m just as famous as my mentor/but that’s still the boss, don’t get sent for”
Don’t be foolish, Drake will be bigger than Wayne ever was; that’s the entire reason he signed him. But he still respects his moves and anything he may ask him for.

You didn’t actually research before you made your statements. It’s okay, just take a rest, man. You’ll be back and at it, stronger and better, come tomorrow.

1. This is already the album I most listened to in 2013. Because a) its just so easy to put on when you drive and b) I still find it hard to form a thought about it.
2. It sounds f*cking good in the car.
3. Drake is generous and this album is overloaded with sounds, flows, melodies & quotes to keep us coming back.
4. But it’s also very self-centered and relies on the base that you know about Drake, his story and the meta of recent weeks/years for it to be fully understood and enjoyed.
7.Drake sounds too comfortable at points. “My life’s a completed checklist” is easily his saddest line yet.
6. Which is why I think it lacks the appeal of universality that classics have but that’s Drake telling us the story and he’s in a position that is not relatable to most of us, or even most of his competitors.
7. I love From Time

I’m pretty sure I’m alone in hating “Tuscan Leather”. I also loathe “305 to My City”. Two songs I skip without hesitation. The album isn’t bad overall. I agree with the above folks that is doesn’t have a “Lord Knows” or “Underground Kings” type of record, but the album flows well so I’ll let it slide.

The one thing I really do hate about online hip-hop discussion of albums is that “is this”/”what would make this”/”what other classic hip-hop albums had” always comes up. I understand comparing a piece of music to other releases from an artist or even their contemporaries, but so quick to go into that classic debate doesn’t give the music any time to breathe.

And its funny because usually in the same post, folks will talk about how the audience (which apparently doesn’t include them) likes come-fast-leave-fast music and all of that. Seem to be apart of the problem in my mind…but what do I know?

Meh. I was really underwhelmed by the album. I loved Started from the Bottom and All Me, so I was really excited to hear the rest of the album, but a lot of the tracks blended together for me, verses didn’t stand out, and I’d probably delete everything besides Worst Behavior. I’m glad I listened to it first before I bought it and wasted my money. Just sad because I really do think Drake is a great rapper, despite what people say. But the subject matter and production ruin many of his songs for me.

I’m a girl, but I do not like singing Drake. His voice is good for a hook, but over an entire song, it sounds awful. Just imagine if he had given Hold On We’re Going Home to Frank Ocean, Miguel, or the Weekend. It would have been magical. Instead, I hate it.

Have to say that I definitely enjoyed Chance’s, Flatbush Zombies, Underachievers, and J. Cole’s contributions to 2013 hip hop much more than this one.

Also, I completely agree that TML has not stood the test of time. Which is crazy to me, because I LOVED that album when it came out. And then I wasn’t really feeling Take Care initially, but it’s clear to me now that it’s a better album (even though I’d drop all the songs with Drake’s singing).

Last thing, I really can’t believe people would want an all RnB album from Drake. Seriously? In a world where we’ve had male RnB artists and groups with beautiful voices like Jodeci, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Babyface, DeBarge, Delfonics, Luther Vandross, Musiq Soulchild, New Edition, BBD, Tony Toni Tone, Stevie Wonder, Stylistics, Teddy Pendergrass, etc? This is how I know RnB is dead.

I’m drunk and it’s late. Fuck it, imma say it. Drake understands rhythm. He gets soundscapes. Etc., etc., but goddamn HE IS FUCKING GARBAGE. I’m sorry. I get why people like him, but his bullshit pussy ass whatever the fuck he’s trying to do needs to get the fuck. Pick your goddamn side. If you’re gonna rap (and he can go in if he wants, I’ll give it to him) FUCKING RAP. Don’t do your “I want to be the next Marvin Gaye” you will NEVER be there. Ever. Drake’s perversion of R&B needs to shove several sharp explosive items up his anus and let them explode there. No groove. He’s not on the 1. He doesn’t get down. And Yeezus fucking christ, he can’t sing for shit. Look, Drake’s uncle is Larry Graham. LARRY FUCKING GRAHAM. Drake shouldn’t even be allowed to breathe the same air as Larry Graham. Go cry and wear your fucking sweaters. Your uncle will slap and pop all over your dumb ass. Decades from now, people will talk about Sly and the Family Stone. But Drake? Naaaaw. Get the fuck if you even think so. Dude will die once these dumbass teenyboppers hop off their fucking social media, fast food bullshit life. Or sooner. If you like Drake, kool. For real. But if you REALLY, and I mean REALLY think Drake is the goddamn artist he believes he is, then you seriously need to reconsider your criticism/interpretation/appreciation of music.

I’m shocked at the 4 cigs. At some point later, I’m hoping TSS will revisit this. They should have let this simmer a little while longer. Hate to say it but I think you guys got caught up in the hype. It’s hella average.

whoever wrote this article is dick sucking so hard. tuscan leather was a bullshit attempt at hooking in ADHD kid who only listen to “crazy” music. so it switches three times and his raps are still mediocre but even more now that he hasn’t improved over time. like “i can go an hour on this beat” but he literally has to change it after a minute cause he’s not going anywhere with it. everything is average or below average on this album except for from time, too much, his verse in pound cake, and come thru